The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-02-23
THE LINCOLN BANQUET.
Speech of Governor Foraker


ed, with Senator Hawley on his right, and
At bis left Mr.. DepeV Behind them was
a portrait Of Lincoln.
Others at the principaI tables we're
Wbitelaw Reid, Governor r J 0ylesby,
Of Illinois. Governor james A. Beaver, Of
Pennsylvania Governor ?. c. Louns-
bury. Of Connecticut G,vernorJ. B. For
aker, Of Ohio; senator y A. Aiirieh. OF
Rhode Island Ex-Congresssnan tialusha
4. Grow. Levi P. Morton. Frank Hisco-k,
Senator benjamin Harrison, Ex-Judge
Noah Davis, Speaker Jas " Hustled, Ex-
Governor 4 B. Cornell. Henry Cabot
Lodge and Ex-senator 7. &. Platt JAS
O. Blaine was not present He sent in
quite long letter Of regrets. which vas
read amid great enthusiasm. Letters al
- were received from John Sherman.
tieneraI sherman, Senator Warner Nil
Ter, Hannibal Hamlin aud others.
Speeches were made 70 toasts As follows
Abraham Lincoln, response by sen
ator Hawley.
The Empire State was spoken % by
Sen1tor-elect Frank Hiscock.
The Reform, the Party Within the
Party, response by Senator Benjamin
Harrison.
The Republican Party. responded TO
bv Governor Foraker.
Young Men IN Politics was Chaun-
cey NJ Depew's task.
Governor Oglesby closed for the War
Governors.
Covers were laid for three hundred
guests, and quite that many Republicans
Of more OF les prominence we're present.
To Governor Foraker fell the lot Of
making speech To the principal toast of
the evening The Republican Party.
Governor Forakers speech in fun was
- follows
eovFE1,oE FoRAEEEs EEsroNSE-
H-. Dt1.-H..la as,d Gentlemen
Iullt o. commence by thanking the
committee having this occasion in charge
f,r the kind compliment Of their invita-
ton % attend IT, And I want 70 proceed
by thanking them again for the still
kinder compliment Of an invitation u re-
~pond to the toast that has Just been pro-
posed. To he accounted worthy by such
men 20 speak in such a presence, At such
a time, on such a subject. Is an honor in
deed. would not be in>ensiblet o. It if I
could, and | could not be - II would
assure YOU. therefore. that I have for II
all nigh but no more, trust, than q
just and proper appreciation.
And now having said that much.
want to 90 on and say that notwithstaui-
ing all have Indicated, / undertake the
discharge Of the duty that has been 50
kindly laid upon me laboring under the
highest degree Of embarrassment, howev-
er, not to think Of something to say, but
only To determine 70 what very little of
the very much that ought TO he said
shall give the preference.
The trouble Is that when one comes 10
speak Of the Republican party there rises
before the mind and presses upon the at
tention all that l. good ami gTand ard
illuStrious in the last thirty years Of
American history and might say, with
out any exaggpration. all Of that chIrac-
ter th It has transpired in American poll
tics since the adoption Of the Federal
Constitution. For the simple truth i
that with the possible exception Of the
questions growing out Of and attendant
upon the war Of 1872 with Great Britain.
there was not, from the beginning Of our
Government. down 70 the organization Of
.the Republican party. any kind Of a po-
litical triumph for which the party
achieving it has any claim whatever
either upon the gratitude or the admira-
ton Of mankind
During all TINS time political disputes
and elections had reference To purely ad-
ministratiye and business questions
They related 70 tie tariff. internal i'm
proyements, public lands OF questions Of
like chartcter-all Of them important and
practical enough To excite interest and
command attention but what l mean TO
indicate Is that there was no great moral
principle involved. neither Wis there any
party line vet established based on any
kind Of constitutional construction Of
Governmental power. In other words.
the day Of heroic questions in American
politics had not vet come.
do not mean 10 say that there was no
agitation OF discussion during this period
about slavery nor that the Democratic
doctrine Of state sovereignty was vet IN
known, but only that party lines were not
vet drawn with reference In these ISSUES.
and that there were no political contests
and TO party triumphs on thuseaccouuts.
and what l. still more 20 the purpose l.
the fact thar the political successes that
were achieved settled nothing even o. 10
the question to which they didrelate.
The consequence was that We had no
fixed American policy about any thing
We were neither for free trade nor for
protection. bur first for the one and then
for the other. and if We AZ one time favor
ed internal improvements we shortly
changed our mind. abandoned the work
and sold the tools with which It had been
prosecuted at publ. suction 10 the high
ct bidder
The result Vas that Notwithstanding a
remarkable growth Of population and iia-
migration. and Notwithstanding We had
all the physical conditions that favored
the highest degree Of prosperity and de-
yelopment. vet We continually languished
in ali that makes q nation strong al home
and respected abroad.
our revenues were insufficient 10 meet
the ordinary expenses Of Government.
We were compelled TO 90 into the market
to borrow to make the ends meet. and
when We undertook 10 do that, We dis
covered that We were practically without
credit We could not borrow except
with the greatest difficulty and al the
most ruinous rates Of discount Such was
the deplorable condition 70 which We
had been brought by the s5-,zssed seventy
wears Of Democratic rule that preceded
the war
Sl-AVERY-
The frnuhla was fhaf frnn The h..gin-